How Jackson’s Ridge started
Reverend Ed and Sonja Corbin founded Jackson’s Ridge in the early 1990’s. They came to South Africa from the USA in 1987 as missionaries with the Assembly of God World Missions (AGWM). After the initial purchase of the first property, a further 3 properties were acquired. The total size of the property is now 24 hectares. Ed and Sonja retired from the field in June 2012. The AGWM and the International Assemblies of God (IAG), a local church group in South Africa, asked Neville and Gail Fannin to continue the work at JR under the leadership of the IAG.
A Brief History
Substantial funding was raised through the AGWM to develop the property and create a facility where training, camps and resources could be accommodated. This funding was used to build a conference centre, which is equipped with an industrial kitchen and a hall that can host 200 people, a dormitory block which is known as the “Bunk House” that can sleep between 150 and 180 people, an ablution block, three houses for staff, a fully equipped hi and low ropes challenge course compete with a climbing wall, a small dam used for boating activities and a pellet gun and archery range. An additional existing hall was renovated as well as a further house, which is used for accommodating up to 26 delegates and/or interns. Two self-contained “Wendy Houses” for VIP’s and conference speakers were also erected.
A further house on the property was set up and used as a Baby Shelter with the express purpose of providing an interim home for babies who were in the process of being adopted. Unfortunately the Baby Shelter was shut down due to challenges experienced with the release of the children to their adopted families. Those accommodations are now used to house the Jackson’s Ridge grounds and housekeeping staff.
JR officially becomes Africa’s Training Centre
Jackson’s Ridge has become widely known across Sub-Saharan Africa for offering regular children’s ministry training courses to equip the body of Christ to minister to children effectively. The very popular camping program is also a very strong part of the training programs on offer, as it showcases what effective ministry to children is and the Resource Centre meets a vital need in the children’s ministry community. An additional camping program called Royal Family Kids’ Camps, which ministers to children of abuse was added to the wide range of camps on offer in 2004. Due to the popularity of this program, a number of these camps have been duplicated around Sub-Saharan Africa, with Jackson’s Ridge being the head office. Jackson’s Ridge was officially recognized as an all Africa training centre in 2017, for the Royal Family program.